Warriors: New team joins in on the D'Angelo Russell sweepstakes

Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell has been a highly sought after name on the market this trade season and talks are finally starting to heat up.

Golden State Warriors‘ guard D’Angelo Russell has been one of the most coveted names on the trade market all season, but nothing has come of it. However, the New York Knicks have reportedly joined in on the sweepstakes for the young star as the trade deadline approaches this Thursday.

Ever since the Warriors acquired him in free agency, All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell has been trapped in trade speculation. The 23-year-old is averaging a career-best 23.8 points per game and has been a bright spot for this struggling Warriors’ team.

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Regardless, the team remains unsure if Russell will be a part of their future as his chemistry with Stephen Curry is a big question mark.

With Curry missing most of the season with an injury, speculation seemed that the Warriors would hang on to Russell until both are healthy and see how well they mesh together.

With the trade deadline approaching rapidly and several teams interested in Russell, that may not be the case, however. The Minnesota Timberwolves have shown the most interest, not shying away from the fact that they want to pair Russell with their superstar Karl-Anthony Towns.

This has been a reoccurring theme all season as Minnesota seems desperate to keep Towns happy, and this could do that. The pair are close friends and have discussed a potential team up at some point in their careers.

Russell chose the Warriors over the Timberwolves in free agency, claiming that weather was a huge factor. Yet, that has not stopped Minnesota from trying to trade for him all season as they need top-tier guard talent.

However, a new team has joined the mix and has the potential to acquire Russell, the New York Knicks. SNY’s Ian Begley has reported that Frank Ntilikina and Bobby Portis have been discussed in some potential deals for the guard, but it is unclear at this time what else might be on the table.

The 24-year-old Portis is averaging 9.4 points per game on 42.7 percent field goal shooting and 35.2 percent from behind the arc. Finding himself in a jam-packed Knicks’ frontcourt, the big has been coming off the bench most of the season.

Ntilikina, the former lottery pick of the Knicks, has had a challenging start in the league. The team has an abundance of guards, making his minutes staggered and inconsistent. Averaging 5.9 points per game on the season, the 21-year-old has not shown much in 44 games.

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Neither of these players shows much upside for the Warriors who could be looking for more skilled pieces to prepare for a run next season. The Knicks do own their first-round draft pick this year; however, with a vile 14-36 record, it remains highly unlikely they would include it.

The Timberwolves are in a similar situation as they are reportedly unwilling to include their draft pick this year in a deal for Russell.

The Warriors are clearly looking for significant draft compensation in return for Russell, and neither of these teams appears as if they will budge right now.

With the trade deadline a few days away, a bidding war between the two teams may start as they aggressively look to bolster their roster with some star talent.

Next. Warriors: One team persistent on a D’Angelo Russell trade. dark

As the Thursday deadline approaches, all we can do for now is speculate what the future holds for D’Angelo Russell and the Golden State Warriors.

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Warriors: New team joins in on the D’Angelo Russell sweepstakes

By Dalton Sell | Feb 3, 2020

Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell has been a highly sought after name on the market this trade season and talks are finally starting to heat up.

More from Golden Gate Sports